Adjustable seal strip



R. G. OEHMIG y 3,142,097

. ADJUSTABLE-SEAL STRIP Filed Jan. 17, 1962 aven/Zw* Rer G July 2s, 1964@www 52W United States Patent O 3,142,097 ADJUSTABLE SEAL STRIP RobertG. Oehmig, 8059 S. Winchester, Chicago, Ill. Filed Jan. 17, 1962, Ser.No. 166,899 3 Claims. (Cl. 20-69) This invention relates to anadjustable seal strip for application to a swinging door to facilitateestablishing and maintaining proper sealing relation with aweatherstripped threshold and more particularly the invention isconcerned with an adjustable seal strip of this type that also serves asa kick plate and splash shield.

Many forms of adjustable thresholds have been devised for accommodatingdoor mounting clearance variations. The potential range of adjustment inthis prior art approach is limited and in many instances the actual useris not aware of the possibilities of adjusting the thresholds. Itfrequently occurs that the mounting clearance at the base of the doorwill change with settling of the building and this aggravates theclearance problems described above and increases the need for simpleadjustment of the seal.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a doormounted seal strip of a one piece door pinching configuration tofacilitate adjustment for various door mounting clearances.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such an adjustabledoor mounted seal strip that may also function as a kick plate.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such anadjustable door mounted seal strip incorporating a protective splashshield.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an all-purposedoor mounted seal strip of low-cost extruded construction. j

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course ofthe following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiication and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame;

FIG. l is a perspective view of an adjustable seal strip of thisinvention,

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the seal strip asapplied to a door and adjusted for sealing engagement with aweather-stripped threshold; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section of the adjustable seal strip,showing the taper of the side walls from the base to the upperextremities of the side walls. It is, of course, obvious that to achievethe pinching action hereinafter described both walls may be tapered oreither wall may extend vertically with the opposite wall taperinginwardly.

Referring now to the drawings, the seal strip of this invention is shownseparately in FIG. 1 as indicated at lil and is shown applied to thelower edge of a door and adjustably positioned for sealing engagementwith a weather-stripped threshold 11 in FIG. 2.

In accordance with this invention the seal strip is in the form of anelongated one piece thin walled metal extrusion and preferably is ofaluminum and has a wall thickness on the order of 0.06" to accommodatelimited exing required for pinching engagement against the door sides.The seal strip 10 has a length dimension corresponding to the widthdimension of the door D on which it is mounted and it is comprised oflengthwise coextensive inner and outer vertical face plate portions, 13and 14, respectively, having their lower ends in integral connection toopposite lateral extremities of a base plate portion 15 to define agenerally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration for the strip. Thecorner junctures 16 and 17 defined between the base plate and each ofthe vertical face plates are provided with integral enlargements 16E and17E that 3,142,097I Patented July 28,` 1964 ice function as abutmentstops for contact with the underside of the door when the strip is fullyapplied.

In atypical strip configuration, in accordance with this invention, thehorizontal distance between the face plate portions is about 1.81" atthe bottom and 1.74" at the top to develop a pinching action against thedoor sides. The

reinforced corner junctures yieldably resist spreading of the strip andthus tend to maintain the strip in its original pinching U-shape. j

To permit secure attachment of the seal s trip to the lower edge of thedoor,vthe inner face plate 13 is provided with a series of horizontallyspaced vertically elongated anchor slots 13S.

The strip 10 may conveniently be applied to the door after theweather-stripped threshold is in place and the door has been hung. Oneend of the strip is registered with the free lower corner of the doorand the strip is advanced edgewise until it embraces the full width ofthe lower door edge. The pinching action of the strip maintains it atany selected position. Therefore, the strip 10 may readily be displacedvertically until its inclined base platev portion 15 is brought intosealing contact with the weather-stripped threshold 11. Wide head anchorscrews 19 are then tightened in the anchor slots 13S to hold the stripin its adjusted position such as is illustrated in l FIG. 2.

In the preferred form of sealing strip illustrated herein for purposesof disclosure, the one piece strip construction includes an integralcoping 20 depending from the outer face plate portion. The coping 20originates along a line located adjacent but slightly below the upperend of the outer face plate 14 and projects in a direction leadinggenerally outwardly and downwardly to provide a splash shield. Thesplash shield and outer face plate cooperably detine a downwardlyopening internal cavity and the coping includes a generally inwardlyprojecting horizontal rib 20K disposed within this cavity and defining adovetail mounting slot 20S extending lengthwise throughout its upperextremity to underlie the uppermost region of the coping 20. A separatesweep element 21 of flexibly distortable material is provided with anenlarged anchorage 21A at its upper end mating with and supportinglyinterlocked in the dovetailed mounting slot. This sweep projects belowthe outer corner juncture 17 of the strip and supplements the action ofthe splash shield. The sweep 21 may be of a molded plastic, such asvinyl, and is preferably enterable endwise into the space between theface plate 14 and the coping 20.

Since the sweep 21 and splash shield 20 bear a fixed relation to theinclined base plate portion 15, the adjustment of the position of thebase plate portion automatically adjusts the sweep and splash shield toa new position of appropriate relation to the threshold. The unitaryconstruction in combination with the self-holding action resulting fromthe pinching configuration of the strip facilitates any adjustments thatare required and, in particular, permits application of the strip withanchoring screws on only one of its side panels.

It should be understood that the description of the preferred form ofthe invention is for the purpose of complying with Section 112, Title35, Vof the U.S. Code and that the appended claims should be construedas broadly as the prior art will permit.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable seal strip for a door and comprising an elongatedone-piece thin-walled extrusion comprising a base portion integrallyconnected to inner and outer wall portions each having a planar interiorface to define a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration, theinterior faces of said wall portions being convergent in the directionof their upper extremities to develop a pinching action on the door, oneof said wall portions having vertically elongated anchor slots toreceive a fastener in adjustable relation for attachment of the strip tothe door at various vertical locations, said base portion having anunderface inclined from the horizontal in a direction crosswise of thestrip, said outer wall portion having an integrally connected copingprojecting generally outwardly and downwardly to provide a splashshield.

2. The seal strip of claim 1 wherein said coping includes an internalrib providing a dovetail mounting slot extending lengthwise beneath theupper region of the coping for cooperation with a sweep element disposedbetween said outer face portion and said coping.

3. An adjustable seal strip for a door and comprising an elongatedone-piece thin-walled metal extrusion of a generally lU-shapedcross-sectional configuration that tapers upwardly to develop a pinchingaction on the door, said strip comprising a generally laterally orientedbase plate portion and lengthwise co-extensive outer and inner verticalface plate portions having lower ends in continuous integral connectionto opposite lateral extremities of said base plate portion to deiine asubstantially full-length outer corner juncture between the base plateportion and the outer face plate portion, and a substantially fulllengthinner corner juncture between the base plate portion and the inner faceplate portion, each of said junctures having an integral internal cornerenlargement giving suiicient rigidity to the configuration to yieldablymaintain the desired pinching action, one of said face plate portionshaving vertically elongated anchor slots to receive a fastener inadjustable relation for attachment of the strip to the door at variousvertical locations, said outer face plate portion having an integrallyconnected coping projecting generally outwardly and downwardly fromalong a location adjacent its upper end to provide a splash shield, saidcoping including an internal rib providing a dovetail mounting slotextending lengthwise be-v neath the upper region of the coping, and asweep element disposed between said outer face plate portion and saidcoping, said sweep element including an anchorage mating with andsupportingly interlocked in said dovetail mounting slot.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 738,163Clutter Sept. 8, 1903 1,149,355 Faires Aug. 10, 1915 1,527,739 LeachFeb. 24, 1925 1,834,031 Macklanburg Dec. 1, 1931 2,095,669 Kunkel Oct.12, 1937 2,541,421 Hunter Feb. 13, 1951 2,739,357 Seabrook Mar. 27, 19562,790,213 Smith Apr. 30, 1957 2,837,787 Wright lune l0, 1958 2,933,781Cornell Apr. 26, 1960 2,934,802 Shekter May 3, 1960 3,064,319 MillerNov. 20, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 230,042 Australia Mar. 12, 1959 504,228Great Britain Nov. 17, 1938

1. AN ADJUSTABLE SEAL STRIP FOR A DOOR AND COMPRISING AN ELONGATEDONE-PIECE THIN-WALLED EXTRUSION COMPRISING A BASE PORTION INTEGRALLYCONNECTED TO INNER AND OUTER WALL PORTIONS EACH HAVING A PLANAR INTERIORFACE TO DEFINE A GENERALLY U-SHAPED CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION, THEINTERIOR FACES OF SAID WALL PORTIONS BEING CONVERGENT IN THE DIRECTIONOF THEIR UPPER EXTREMITIES TO DEVELOP A PINCHING ACTION ON THE DOOR, ONEOF SAID WALL PORTIONS HAVING VERTICALLY ELONGATED ANCHOR SLOTS TORECEIVE A FASTENER IN ADJUSTABLE RELATION FOR ATTACHMENT OF THE STRIP TOTHE DOOR AT VARIOUS VERTICAL LOCATIONS, SAID BASE PORTION HAVING ANUNDERFACE INCLINED FROM THE HORIZONTAL IN A DIRECTION CROSSWISE OF THESTRIP, SAID OUTER WALL PORTION HAVING AN INTEGRALLY CONNECTED COPINGPROJECTING GENERALLY OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY TO PROVIDE A SPLASHSHIELD.